


Another Chance

by Lil_Gukkie



Series: I'll Love You Even When You're Gone [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, attack on
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort/Angst, Doctor Hange Zoë, Fluff and Angst, Heavy Angst, M/M, Major Illness, Mikasa Ackerman & Eren Yeager Are Siblings, POV Eren Yeager, Protective Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Protective Mikasa Ackerman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-05
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-12-11 08:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11710563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lil_Gukkie/pseuds/Lil_Gukkie
Summary: "Fuck you," I heard a low voice speak. I couldn't help but laugh.(Rated T+ for language)





	1. I Missed You

I never thought I would make it this far. Levi and I had been together for about eight months now, dating for four, and engaged for one. I was in love with him the moment he hugged me that night I fell apart. 

And the way he fell asleep atop my chest as I fell asleep five months after telling him about my mother was unbearably endearing. It hurt that he was crying over me the same way I had over my mother, but I couldn't fight how tired I was, no matter how hard I tried. I focused on his sobbing, and the way his hand felt in mine. And the weight of his head on my chest. 

When I woke up again, Levi was gone. That heart monitor was beeping steadily, annoying as always with how often I heard it throughout my 22 years of life. I raised my hand, eyeing the ring settled there with a soft smile. 

But there was something else. I reached up to my neck, feeling a weight on my chest that wasn't usually there. I grabbed the object resting there and looked at it. A key. I had never seen it before. It was beautiful, golden with a diamond loop on one end. 

I grew tired after what I felt was a few minutes, and I let my eyes close as I fell asleep with the key held tightly in my left hand. 

I awoke again some time later, someone attempting to remove the key from my grasp. The gasp that I heard upon my eyes opening had me lost for a moment. "E-Eren?"

I tried to get my eyes to focus on the person standing by my bed. Was it a nurse? Her hair was black, as was her outfit...all aside from that red scarf around her neck. My brow furrowed. "Mikasa? Is that you?"

"O-Oh my god, Eren! You're awake!" I could eat the tears in her voice even though I couldn't see them. 

"Mikasa, what do you mean? And where is Levi? I fell asleep with him on my chest..last night?"

I heard a small sob, and I felt a hand rest over my own. "Eren..Levi..he's missing." My heart shattered. 

"Where? When? Mikasa, find him! No, get me out of this damn hospital. I have to go-"

"You're not going anywhere. You're staying here. Trust me, when he hears you're awake, he'll be here." I let out a frustrated sigh, my eyelids feeling heavy. 

"Dammit," I swore, trying to keep my eyes open. 

"It's okay, Eren. Go to sleep. When you wake up, I'm sure Levi will be back."

~~~

I groaned as my head spun, my left hand cramping as I opened it a little. I felt the key slip from my hand onto my chest, and I licked my unfairly dry lips. "M-Mikasa," I called softly, my throat burning as I let out a cough.

A cup was pressed to my lips a moment later, and I gladly accepted the water offered to me. After the soothing sensation faded away, I caught the sound of sobbing once more. But this sound was all too familiar. 

"Fuck you," I heard a low voice speak. I couldn't help but laugh. 

"I love you too, Levi," I replied, taking a deep breath to calm myself. I felt horrible after just one little set of laughter. My chest was aching so much that I felt breathless. 

"I..I can't believe you." He let out a shaky sigh, and I felt his hand take my own. He gave it too rough of a squeeze, and I winced in a small bit of pain. "You.. you are such an asshole I swear," he said. I could hear the exasperation, and Levi broke down into tears. 

"Levi...how long was I out?"

"You fucking died, Eren!" I winced, this time from the intense pain I heard in his words rather than the grip on my hand. "Don't you know how much that..that hurt?"

As his volume dropped once more, I couldn't fight my own tears. "I...I do, Levi. My mom-"

"I know," he said, his voice gentle now. "I'm sorry. I just..I can't believe you're finally awake." I waited silently, hoping he would answer my question from earlier. "You...died..when I was with you. The monitor had alarmed the nurses, and they brought back your heartbeat with a defibrillator." I heard him take another breath, and he continued. "Then you simply wouldn't wake up. Your body was responsive to pain, but that was it. You were out for four months, Eren." 

I let my tears fall freely. "You...you kept me on a ventilator that long?" I asked, my chest aching even more. "L-Levi.."

"I couldn't give up on you, Eren. Not when there was still a chance." He opened my hand, and I felt the weight of the key disappear. "I put this on your chest, and you smiled. You fucking..." His tone started to rise again, but he took a moment to settle down. "You smiled. Like you knew it was me. I would wait until you unplugged yourself if I had to."

I let out a choked sob, and I felt his hand stroking my hair. "M-Mikasa..told me you were missing..w-when I woke up the second time."

Cold, chapped lips pressed against my forehead, and I struggled to make out Levi's pale face in the slightly dark room. My head was spinning. 

"I couldn't give up..but it hurt too much to watch you breathe artificially for three months. So when the..the fourth month started, I flew back to France. Visited with some friends and my father for a little while." I nodded softly. "I didn't tell anyone..I just left. I didn't want Mikasa on my ass for not being here waiting."

"I'm so glad you're here now," I said, letting out a small displeased sigh as my lids felt heavy again. I fought to keep them open, but Levi's slightly cold hand gently shut them. 

"You can go back to sleep Eren. I'll be here for you the next time you wake up." I smiled softly as I felt his gentle fingers wiping my tears from my cheeks. 

"I love you," I said softly. As I drifted off, I heard him reply. 

"I love you too, Eren."


	2. A Starry Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I knew you weren't gone, even when you died that day and had to be revived."
> 
> "How?"
> 
> "There wasn't a star bright enough. And trust me, I looked everywhere. Every night."

It wasn't the first time I had been in a hospital. Hell, it was probably close to the thousandth. But as I laid there in that stupid hospital bed, I couldn't help but be bored to death again. "Leviiiiii~"

"No."

"You don't know what I was going to ask!"

"You want out of the bed. You don't need to use the bathroom, and you don't feel sick, so the answer is no." I let out a whine, crossing my arms a little. 

"You're an ass."

"I love you too." I couldn't fight my grin, even if it was a sassy reply. I loved that attitude. 

"I just wanted to look at the stars," I finally sighed, looking over at the window. "Like we used to, when you would sneak me away in the middle of the night, and we would go to our favorite spot in the park...I miss it."

I felt Levi's hand settle on my arm, and I turned to look at him. His steely gaze met mine, and I felt breathless. In a good way, of course. "You know I can't do much yet..you still have to get some muscle back from being bedridden for four months." 

I nodded, frowning slightly.

"But.." I couldn't help but smile excitedly. "If you work hard to recover well - healthily, Eren - then I will take you there first thing when you're released. We'll have a picnic until sunset if we get you out early." 

I pulled Levi into a hug, burying my face in his neck. "Thank you, Levi!"

"Oi, why are you crying?"

~~~

And so, after many tiring months of muscle training and therapy classes, I was finally deemed releasable, so long as I continued to go to therapy and improve each week. Levi took me out, just like he promised, and we had a picnic on the hill.

I was leaning up against his side, his arm around my waist as we watched the sunset together. "Isn't it pretty?" I asked softly.

"Not as pretty as you," he replied without hesitation. I laughed a little, turning and pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

"You're so cheesy."

"Only for you." This felt all too familiar, and I couldn't help but love it. The fact that neither of us had changed despite what happened. That Levi still treated me the same. 

"I love you."

"You too, brat." And he returned the kiss on the cheek, causing me to blush a little. I rested my head against his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his body as the sun faded in the distance. The stars began to shine brightly in the night sky, and we both eventually settled onto our backs to see them better. 

"I heard a story once," Levi started softly, and I hummed in reply for him to continue. "That when we die, our souls join the night sky, and we become a star. That we guide our loved ones and new loved ones to come as they struggle through life." I took his hand in my own, giving it a little squeeze.

"Do you think...my mother is up there somewhere?"

"I'm sure of it," he replied, and I couldn't help but tear up at the thought of it. I had always hoped she was watching over me. That she knew I was fighting for her. "I knew you weren't gone, even when you died that day and had to be revived."

"How?" I asked softly.

"There wasn't a star bright enough. And trust me, I looked everywhere. Every night." I looked over at him, smiling softly at his sweet words. 

"You're too much."

"I'm not enough," he retorted, looking at me. "Not for someone as perfect as you." 

"I swear that your smoothness will be the death of me," I laughed, rolling onto my side to rest my head on his chest. 

"And your adorableness will be for me." I rolled my eyes, wrapping one arm over his chest as I felt him starting to play with my hair. I let my eyes fall on the ring on my finger as we settled into a comfortable silence.

"You make me so happy," I said with a grin.

"You took the words right out of my mouth."


	3. Don't Doubt Our Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Who do you care about more? Eren or yourself?"

"He's..he's dying, Levi. Whether you like it or not, Eren probably won't make it through another relapse. It was a miracle the first time."

"But he's a fighter, Hanji. He can do this."

"You can't force him to stay here."

"He's my _fiancé_. I can't hope that he will fight to stay here as long as possible?"

"No, but you need to talk to him. He needs to know that it's okay not to suffer if he's ready to leave."

"But I can't lose him!"

"Who do you care about more? Eren or yourself?"

"Y-You know that isn't-"

"But it is, Levi. He was on a _ventilator_ for _four months_ because _you_ couldn't let him go. He did rehab for five months. He fought for you. But if you love him, he needs to know he can think about himself for once. That kid has put himself through hell just to stay by your side."

"How am I supposed to tell him it's okay if he dies? That I will move on and be just fine and keep going for him? How can I lie to him like that?"

"You can't tell him a damn word until it's the truth, because he deserves it, Levi. I'm doing all I can with his strain, but there's only so much medication can do." 

I didn't say a word when Levi walked in a few hours later, climbing onto the bed to settle down next to me. I pretended to be asleep, snuggling closer when I felt his arms wrap around my stomach from behind. 

"I love you, Eren." His voice was so soft, as if he was trying not to wake me. "No matter what happens, please don't doubt that for a second." I moved one of my hands down to lay over his, lacing my fingers in his as I gave a little yawn.

"I love you too, Levi," I replied, smiling softly. I didn't think I could doubt him when he was clearly so torn up about this. "I'm so glad I'm still here with you," I added, hoping to reassure him against Hanji's words. I definitely needed to talk to her. 

"Eren," he eventually spoke up again. I gave a small hum in response. "When do you want to get married?"

My eyes widened, and I rolled over to face him, grinning excitedly. "I've had my breath taken away countless time, but I love it when you do it to me," I said softly, pressing a kiss to his lips as he laughed a little. "Let's get married next month."

"Next month it is," he replied without question, and I couldn't help but be overjoyed. 

"But you should pick the venue...I don't know too many places around here."

"Anyone you want to invite?"

"Mikasa and Armin can get ahold of all my friends for me. And of course, whoever you want to invite. I want to meet the people you are close to," I replied, wrapping my arms around his back as I snuggled close once again. 

"Unless you have a crap ton of friends, our wedding is going to be pretty small. I only have about..four who are still with us." I nodded.

"That's fine. It'll be more fun with the people we know really well rather than some old friends that might be awkward because of how little we actually know them." I closed my eyes as Levi began to stroke my hair, relishing the feeling of something so tender wing done by my fiancé. He was so precious, and I was glad that this was something special that only I got to see. 

I had to eventually let him go so he could get up and fix us something to eat, but I didn't want to stay in bed anymore. I still had to adjust to walking around after laying down for long periods of time, but I managed to make it to the bathroom to clean up a little. 

As I was taking a nice, warm shower, I felt my chest explode with an intense, hot pain. I dropped to my knees, clutching my chest as I panted in the floor of the shower. I let a few tears fall from the pain, glad that the water would mask them if Levi came in. 

As expected, the door opened after a moment. I put the hand that was on my chest to the ground, looking up as Levi reached in and turned the water off. "Eren? What happened?" he asked worriedly.

"I..I fell..sorry," I replied. I didn't want him to worry too much. Besides, it wasn't the first time I'd had pain like this. "Can you..get my oxygen tank set up? I'm having a little trouble from the steam," I asked, and he nodded. I let my sheepish smile fall away as he left the bathroom, moving to sit with my back against the shower wall.

Whether she liked it or not, Hanji and I would be having a good, long conversation later. Levi didn't deserve to worry over someone like me.


	4. Argument

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm telling you to back off. I love him, and I will fight to stay here as long as possible. That's _my_ choice. Not Levi's, and certainly not yours."

"I swear to god, if you ever say something like that to him again, I will personally chuck my oxygen tank at your skull."

I had lost it. I couldn't help it! I had let myself fume over the conversation the past three days, and I finally found the chance to confront Hanji about it. Levi had just left for a two hour meeting at his job, and Hanji had been called over due to my recent spell of pain. 

"E-Eren?"

"Don't 'E-Eren?' me! I heard every little thing you said in that hallway. You had him cuddling me in my fake sleep and trying to reassure me that he loves me." I huffed, crossing my arms. "It hurt so much to know that he had spent four months without me, Hanji. I was _never_ upset I was ventilated that long. I was upset that he was in pain, and I couldn't fix it."

"But that's just it. You can't tear yourself up over things like that. You couldn't help you were in a coma," she said.

"You don't think I know that? Levi made sure he drilled it through my thick skull that none of it was my fault. I'm not putting myself down. I'm telling you to back off. I love him, and I will fight to stay here as long as possible. That's _my_ choice. Not Levi's, and certainly not yours."

"That isn't what I meant."

"I don't care what you meant!" Hanji's eyes widened. I didn't care. "You can't tell either of us how to feel. You don't know what it feels like to be so deeply in love with someone who's dying. I do; I cried on my mother's chest as she passed away. And damn it, Levi did the same to me, even if I was lucky enough to be revived."

She sat there silently, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Eren. I never meant to upset either of you. I just wanted you to know it was okay-"

"To give up, Hanji? What kind of person gives up the fight? If I die, I die. I can't fix it. But I plan to make every second of this fight last with Levi, and I don't need you making him feel worse and forcing me to fix things."

She nodded once. "I support you, and I trust you, Eren. I won't do anything like that again." I relaxed a little when I saw the true remorse in her expression. 

"Good. Now come here, I don't want you to cry," I said with a little sigh, offering a more friendly expression than my previous scowl. She stood up and laughed, giving me a warm hug. 

"What do you want for dinner? Levi said he would be back a little ways into the meal."

"Just-"

I gasped, clutching at my chest, and I felt my knees go weak from the pain. Hanji luckily managed to keep me from collapsing, but I had to sit down on my couch to catch my breath.

"Eren? What's wrong?"

"I-I need my tank," I struggled, and she nodded, rushing away from the couch for a moment. I fell back, trying to keep my breaths as even as possible. She eventually returned with my oxygen tank, helping me put the nose piece on and take a few stable inhales. 

"How bad does it hurt?"

I shook my head once, closing my eyes a I continued to focus on my breathing. "It's an eight," I said softly after a moment, and I heard the door open, followed by the sound of something dropping onto the hardwood floor. 

"Eren?"

I opened my eyes to see Levi kneeling in front of me, and his briefcase forgotten by the door. I offered him a little smile, reaching out and cupping his cheek. "Welcome home."

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, and I gave a little nod. 

"I'm hurting a little, but I can breathe better now. I thought you would be later."

"Hanji called me. You didn't respond to her for a full ten minutes." My brows furrowed. I didn't remember hearing a single thing from her. 

"Sorry to scare you. I'll be fine; just had a little dizzying pain." Levi frowned, but I rolled my eyes and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "I'll be alright, Levi. I would tell you if it was anything to worry about." He relaxed a little and nodded. 

"I love you."

"I know," I replied, smiling gently. "Now let's enjoy some dinner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! On top of college, I got sick and just had a hard time working up anything. But here you go!


	5. Wedding Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you sure this is exactly what you want?" Levi asked me, to which I could only nod. 
> 
> "It's a perfect combination of how well we compliment each other."

Levi and I had plenty to plan with the wedding, such as deciding if our tuxes would match, or if one would be white and one black, who would wear the white one...what venue, what colors to decorate with, flowers or no flowers, groomsmen or bridesmaids...

To say the least, I got stressed out quickly. Mikasa and Armin stepped in, only bringing one or two final decisions to me to be judged. Levi understood, especially when he saw my slight mental breakdown about which shade of blue-green I liked best out of the eighteen choices he came up with. He actually planned most of the wedding, only bringing me the finalized list to see if I wanted to make any changes. 

"I love it," I said after reading it over. It was planned up to the cake, which he wanted to do with me. We had a meeting with the cake decorator in an hour, and I was extremely excited about it. "Will Hanji be coming to the cake tasting?"

"No, it's just you and me," Levi confirmed. Hanji had been accompanying us on any long periods of time out of the house, just in case I were to collapse and Levi needed some help. Not that I minded her company, but I enjoyed Levi and I just being alone sometimes too. 

"What if I get weak?"

"I'm you're fiancé, Eren. I might as well get used to caring for you myself. Hanji is just a back up if I don't know what to do." I nodded, grinning excitedly. 

"I don't deserve someone like you," I sighed happily, wrapping my arms around his neck and pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. To think that Levi would take his time before our wedding to learn how to care for me...it made me wish that I could care for myself so that there was less of a burden on him. 

Levi pulled me close by the waist, coaxing me into a slightly deeper kiss. I gladly complied, a smile brighter than any on my lips. I couldn't help but laugh a little when my feet were lifted off the ground and in turn wrapped around his hips, pulling away from the kiss long enough to see his smirk as he started towards our bedroom. 

Needless to say, we were late to the cake testing.

We planned for the cake to be half German chocolate, half angel food cake to please all the different guests that would be eating it with us. It would be iced in white with a silver finish, and teal green accent swirls across the top and bottom later. The middle layer would be accented with pale teal flowers, the petals having silver tips. 

"Are you sure this is exactly what you want?" Levi asked me, to which I could only nod. 

"It's a perfect combination of how well we compliment each other," I replied, smiling and giving him a little wink. He laughed a little, and the cake decorator brought us a bill for the estimated cost of the cake. "Thank you for being so kind to us," I complimented her, to which she nodded. 

"Of course. It makes me happy to see two people so in love," she replied. This wasn't the first cake decorator we had visited; some had even refused to make our cake because of our genders. 

"What's your name?" I asked, and she graced us with a soft smile. 

"Krista Lenz. It's a pleasure to be adding to your wedding, Mr. Jaeger."

"Just Eren is fine," he replied. 

"Of course. However, if I may ask, what is your decision with the last names?"

My heart momentarily stopped. Of all the things we could have forgotten, it just had to be this. 

"We haven't really decide yet," Levi answered. I was glad he stepped in without much of a pause. I was too frazzled to even think of forming a coherent sentence. "But don't worry about putting it on the cake. It will just be announced once we are wed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...so yeah, this is a bit of a filler chapter xD
> 
> But this is an important question that I would love any readers to help me to decide!
> 
> Which last name could you see the couple choosing? I know they could just keep both names, but I sort of like the idea of one unifying couple last name. What do you guys think? Leave a comment, or email me at kairithemechanicalboss@gmail.com
> 
> Thanks loves! And I hope you have a Merry Christmas and other holidays!!!!


	6. A Minor Setback

Levi and I had so much fun planning for the wedding, and I took Mikasa and Armin out for some pre-wedding partying, almost like a bachelor's party but with my sister because I loved her. We all got a bit tipsy, and I had to hook up my tank, but otherwise we had a blast. 

Mikasa and I were left alone at her apartment to bond the night before the wedding, and all of the sudden I was getting nervous.

"Mikasa…I can't do this."

"Eren Jaeger, I will drag your nervous ass down that isle if I have to."

"That's not what I mean," I said, looking down at the tank sitting by my feet. "What if…I'm being selfish? I'm taking Levi as my husband when I don't even know how long I'll be alive."

"You knew that before you died the first time," she pointed out.

"And seeing how broken he was when I came back from the dead made me realize he would have to go through it again," I responded, tears welling in my eyes. "It hurts to see him like that. I don't want him to have to lose me again."

"He loves you, Eren. You know that. He asked you to marry him, knowing the risks. He still wants to marry you, even after you died one time and got a second chance. Don't you think there's really no point in worrying about it that much?"

I smiled at my sister's comforting words. She was right. I let her gather me into a hug, and I let myself cry until I felt settled a bit, but a new panic welled within me. I patted her shoulder, thinking she was holding me too tightly, but when her arms loosened, my breath didn't return. 

"Eren?"

"M-Mi…" I started, trying to breathe. I looked down to my tank, but it was nowhere near empty. My chest lit up in flames, and fresh tears spilled from my eyes. I watched as Mikasa rushed off of the couch, but everything after that was a blur of motion and panic. 

I felt like I was probably the calmest out of everyone. The doctors were running around, checking this and that, Mikasa was in tears, Armin was shaking but trying to be strong for her, and Hanji was even pacing outside my door. What scared me the most, though, was how blank Levi's eyes were. This was the last thing I wanted, to end up at the hospital the night before the biggest day of our lives. 

When my breathing was stabilized, I was in extreme pain but otherwise okay. I couldn't find it in me to do more than focus on the air entering and exiting my lungs, at least until I felt a hand rest in my own. The ring on my left hand was gently played with. I turned my head, blinking to clear my vision even if I knew who it was already.

"You know, as much as I hate getting the shit scared out of me, I don't think I'll ever want to be anywhere but by your side," he said, a faint smile on his lips. "You keep me on my toes, kid."

I wanted to laugh, but the pain kept me from doing so. I smiled instead. 

"Don't think for a second I'm going to let you leave me. We can have the wedding here, or we can postpone it, but I'm not taking this ring off your finger until you have another one in its place."

"M-Mikasa," I started, only to have to breathe painfully again and close my eyes. 

"Yeah, she told me. Don't get me wrong; I'm a little pissed that you think I would rather leave you than deal with this." I went to answer, but he raised a hand. "That being said, I love how selfless you are. That you're willing to let me go and find happiness somewhere else even if it means I leave you here alone. I just want you to know that I will never love anyone more than I love you, Eren Jaeger."

New tears welled in my eyes and fell seconds later, but he was quick to wipe them away. 

"Focus on breathing. Once you don't hurt as bad, we'll talk, okay? I'll call the cake company and the venue and let them know what happened." I nodded once, and Levi stood up, pressing a kiss to my forehead. He stepped out of the room for a moment, and Hanji came in after him.

"You're a troublemaker, kid. But we still love you."

I smiled, closing my eyes. Levi's words were fresh on my brain, and I was overcome with love for the man that would soon be my husband. I waited until he returned and was holding my hand again to fall asleep, Mikasa and Armin heading back to take care of family and friends that had come for the wedding.

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooooo....  
> Yeah  
> I liked my angsty oneshot  
> But I sort of hated killing my precious little Eren and torturing poor Levi T^T
> 
> So I decided to make a separate story to continue it!!!!


End file.
